Friday, March 25, 2011

The Young Constable "The Inspector's Hat"

* a collection of stories and memories, in no particular order, from the life and times of John Clarke, who served as a policeman in the Australian Police Force, a great practical joker, he also had a great affinity with people and wildlife, was a champion swimmer, snooker player, loved golf, still loves fishing and is also an artist. I hope you enjoy his recollections - cheers, karin (his daughter)
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The young constable is one of the Century's innocents. He has no malice in him. He goes about his business in a quiet and private way, it's just that life's circumstances and strange and weird incidents have a habit of catching up with him. The young constable's father was amazed when he reached the age of 21, and why this is so, we just don't know except we must think that similar stories to those related here must have been occurring during the YC's lifetime prior to him reaching his majority. Whenever I'm absent for a time one of the first questions I need answered on my return is whether any further Young Constable stories have occurred in my absence. These are some of the stories about the Young Constable that come to mind. I have written them down as they are too good to allow them to be forgotten.

John Clarke

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THE INSPECTORS HAT

There was an Inspector at Tweed Heads who didn't mind going out on the street when something was happening.

The Police had received a call of an armed robbery up Bay Street and the Inspector decided to go up and check it out. He went up in one car and the YC went with another police officer in another.

On reaching the scene the Inspector realised he had mislaid his new Inspector's hat with all the silver braid but was able to find a Constable's hat in the rear seat which he put on and went for a foot patrol to try and ascertain which way the offender went.

The YC and the other officer did the same thing in the next street, the YC couldn't find his hat either, so he put the only hat on that he could find, of course it was the one with the silver braid.

The Inspector and the YC met on the corner of Bay and Steward Streets and an immediate hat-swap took place with the Inspector saying "aw shit you got my hat....next thing you will be after my rank".

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John Clarke

About Me

John is my father, married to Sally, whom he met a while a young lifesaver at Bondi Beach, Sydney in the 1960's.
I created this blog for him, to share his recollections with family and friends. John was a policeman before he retired, but continues to be a fine storyteller, fisherman, wildlife & marine expert who has tried his hand at many things and given us all a lot of joy through storytelling, practical jokes and mishaps!
I thought the stories so wonderful and worthy of dedicating a blog to them for others to enjoy. In John’s life as a policeman he was highly respected and saved many lives, attended many difficult and fatal accidents, living in a number of outback and coastal towns.
Wherever he lived, I’m proud to say he befriended the locals and they befriended him. That tended to include the wildlife and all kinds of characters. He has that special affinity with animals, plants and the natural world.
John is also an artist and comes from a creative family. enjoy the read, sit back and relax with a cuppa, enjoy a good laugh or two on us - karin
Contact johnsally.clarke@gmail.com